The largest ever group of illegal immigrants apprehended at once was taken in by U.S. Border Patrol agents this week near El Paso, Texas.
U.S. Border Patrol agents working in El Paso apprehend 1,036 illegal aliens. Agents took custody of the group members as they were attempting to illegally enter the U.S. in El Paso, Texas. May 29, 2019. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection/Released)
A caravan of approximately 1,036 immigrants was apprehended after illegally crossing the border from Mexico in the early morning hours on Wednesday, 63 of whom were unaccompanied minors, 39 single adults and 934 members of families, according to a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) statement on Thursday.
On Thursday evening, President Trump tweeted a video of the massive group traversing the border, and said, “Yesterday, Border Patrol agents apprehended the largest group of illegal aliens ever: 1,036 people who illegally crossed the border in El Paso around 4am. Democrats need to stand by our incredible Border Patrol and finally fix the loopholes at our Border!”
Yesterday, Border Patrol agents apprehended the largest group of illegal aliens ever: 1,036 people who illegally crossed the border in El Paso around 4am. Democrats need to stand by our incredible Border Patrol and finally fix the loopholes at our Border! pic.twitter.com/6K1rIUzorM
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2019
“The apprehension of 1,036 individuals in a single group – the largest group ever encountered by Border Patrol agents – demonstrates the severity of the border security and humanitarian crisis at our Southwest border,” CBP Deputy Commissioner Robert E. Perez said in the statement.
“The dedicated men and women of CBP, and in particular the U.S Border Patrol, are doing their very best every day to address the influx of family units and unaccompanied children,” Perez added.
U.S. Border Patrol agents working in El Paso apprehend 1,036 illegal aliens. Agents took custody of the group members as they were attempting to illegally enter the U.S. in El Paso, Texas. May 29, 2019. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection/Released)
All members of the group originated from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.
It’s not clear if the migrants traveled from the Central American countries as a caravan, or if formed it later in Mexico, though there hasn’t been any news of a traveling caravan recently.
CBP noted that it recently apprehended two groups of more than 400 migrants each after they illegally crossed into the U.S. The most recent of the two groups was on Memorial Day and consisted of 430 immigrants.
U.S. Border Patrol agents working in El Paso apprehend 1,036 illegal aliens. Agents took custody of the group members as they were attempting to illegally enter the U.S. in El Paso, Texas. May 29, 2019. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection/Released)
Acting CBP Commissioner John P. Sanders said earlier this month that 16,000 illegal immigrants were in custody and overwhelming detention facilities.
“The U.S. Border Patrol had over 16,000 people in custody, many of whom are in overcrowded facilities. This is the result of a record number of Border Patrol apprehensions – 500,000 so far this year,” Sanders said in a CBP statement.
“We may need to take additional action for the welfare of those in our custody and the health and safety of everyone, including our law enforcement personnel and support staff at our processing facilities,” he added.
In all of 2009, 540,000 apprehensions were made for the entire year. Every year since has resulted in less than 500,000 apprehensions for the whole year.
DHS confirmed in March that the number of immigrants apprehended by border patrol officials has been increasing exponentially, and is on pace to reach one million by the end of the year.
